You’re a student, piled with loads of work on pending. Essays, reports, labs, exams, all on your mind as you also strive to achieve success in this world and the akhira (hereafter). Sometimes a balance between the two can become a very difficult task, often times leading to a compromise of one over the other. Unfortunately, most of the time, we choose to compromise on the latter. “I’m young, I’ve got lots of time,” we tell ourselves. We like to believe the akhira is a long way ahead. In this deceived belief we make statements such as “I’ll start praying 5 times after these exams are over” or “I’ll observe the hijab after I’m married”  “I’ll recite the Quran more frequently when I’m finished with school” and “I’ll grow a beard when I’m older, just not now”. With the passing of time we realize that life gets busier than it previously was, we find more excuses to delay our goals and again we put our religious obligations on hold.

Striving for the best in this world is not something that is forbidden or disliked, in fact acquiring a higher education, seeking knowledge, and becoming the best in what we do is an obligation we have as Muslims. However, our priorities and our focus are vital for our success in both worlds.  However, our focus, when working toward anything should ultimately be that we were created to worship God. Everything else should be subservient to this fact. Tasks such as performing our daily worldly obligations, and acquiring an education are also a form of worship, however we should be careful as to not make the world our ultimate focus. It has been related in a hadith:

Relieve yourself from the concerns of the world as much as you possibly can. For verily, one who makes the world his ultimate concern, God multiplies his concerns, and will set his poverty up before his very eyes. One who makes the Hereafter his greatest concern, God will focus his concerns, and make his wealth in his heart. No servant approaches God with his heart, honestly and truthfulness, except that God makes the hearts of the believers inclined toward Him with mercy and love.

 It is essential to take a moment and reflect on where our priorities lie. Yes, life can get very busy and hectic, but that’s where the test lies. It isn’t supposed to be easy, it involves compromise, sacrifice and a lot of devotion, just like any other task we choose to take on. We procrastinate towards adopting the good deceiving ourselves in the belief that we have generous amounts of time to get serious about religion, to repent, and to restore broken relations. While our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, has said “When you turn in at night do not anticipate that you will live until the morning, and when you rise in the morning do not anticipate that you will live until the evening”.  Which one of us can guarantee that we will live to see another day, another hour, or even another minute? We need to ask ourselves, are we ready to be taken into account for our actions, or a lack thereof? And most importantly, is it really worth waiting for a day that may not come?

_ Le monde où nous vivons possède une nature à la fois séduisante et décevante. Nous, faibles humains, pouvons facilement céder face a nos désires illimités qui se résument en ayant beaucoup d’argent, des voitures luxueuses, des demeures opulentes, des bijoux, des pierres précieuses, le prestige et la gloire. Tous ces exemples  ont toujours fait un effet sur nous et nous ont toujours impressionnées.  La nature humaine nous a souvent fait aimer ce qu’on n’avait pas et nous pousse à chaque fois a chercher a avoir plus de ce que nous possédons déjà. Le don de la satisfaction n’est pas donné a tout le monde, et l’avidité peut croitre d’une façon continue si nous ne sommes pas convaincus et heureux de nos situations. Cependant quelque soit notre situation de vie, il faut toujours se dire qu’ils existent d’autres personnes qui ont connu pire. Et    comme disait notre bien aimé le Prophète Mohamed (S.A.W) : « Regardez celui qui se situe au dessous de vous et non celui qui est placé au-dessus de vous, car il vaut mieux pour vous de ne pas dédaigner le bienfait qu’ALLAH t’a accordé ».  Sans oublier que quiconque se satisfait et remercie de la portion qu’ALLAH lui a accordé; ALLAH lui en donnera davantage.

In this article I would like to share the following story I came across in the book titled, ‘Parent’s Love’ written by Ishrat J. Rumy.

The Prophet Sulaiman was a king. He was given an extraordinary kingdom by Allah, and he ruled over the winds and the waves, all men, jinn and animals had to obey him.

One day, the Prophet Sulaiman decided to survey his people. He ordered his subjects to arrange themselves in a manner that would enable him to view them. He went to his palace and there on a roof he stood alone to inspect them. No one was permitted to come near. Just then, a man appeared.

“Who are you? Don’t you know that no one is supposed to entre here?", asked the Prophet.

“I need no permission for entry. It is your Lord’s command that your time on earth is over,” answered the angel.

And so Sulaiman died. But his subjects did not know. They thought that the king was still judging them. Then Allah sent some worms which ate through his staff on which Sulaiman was leaning. The staff broke and Sualiman fell to the ground.

Only then did the people become aware of his death.

...

The biggest lesson I think we can take from this story is that death comes to all regardless of your race, class, gender, status/position etc. It is something inevitable.  Often times we distance ourselves from the concept of death while we seek a safe haven in this world. We must live our lives but we must also remember that death is destined for all of us. It can happen when least expected and that is why every day we should strive to live up to the standards Allah has prescribed for us because ultimately that is the only way we will find happiness.  If we try our very best to live in a way that is destined for mankind, Allah will surely help us in every way.

I’ve touched this topic before, but I will touch it again. This is to all the brothers out there whose excuse to miss prayers and fasts is, “bro I am going to swear, I can’t help it, I will end up breaking my fast, so, I might as well not keep it”.

My previous argument against such a thought was based on Allah’s love for his creation and don’t you forget you are his creation and every creator loves his creation.
http://www.keepingithalal.com/50/post/2010/12/religion-he-is-more-forgiving.html

But, this time around I’ll take it a step further. If you’re fasting or praying and you’re trying your best not to swear or whatever other vice you’ve habituated to, but you commit it, carry on. Carry on your
prayer, as would someone who can’t help but pass wind or stay in a state of purity. This is not to say that you should not do your best to curtail your habit, attempt to as would a person facing constant
states of impurity would seek medical help, you too should seek help where available and I know old habits die hard.

But, that’s the beauty of it though. The harder it is for you, the more abundantly God rewards you. So, who knows, besides the almighty, your prayers and act of good will might be more rewarding than that pious brother in the corner with his big beard and thobe on.

                                                        ﷽


A common recurring phenomenon in the Qur’an is that God asks and invites us to reflect on His signs in the heavens and the earth, as the following verses can testify:

    “and there are many signs in the heavens and the earth that they pass by and give no         heed to” (12:106)

    “We have made Our signs clear enough to those who have solid faith” (2:118)

Furthermore, we often hear the same invitation to contemplation in lectures and sermons by Islamic scholars. The problem is many of us just can’t, and don’t, see these manifestations of majesty around us. Without saying they don’t exist, so much of our cognitive capacity is hoarded by the things directly affecting our daily lives (midterms, assignments, what we’re having for dinner, and the rest), that we tend to miss these signs.

The purpose of this article is to, God willing, introduce a way of thinking that might make us more aware of these signs of divine glory around us.  To begin, I’d like to present a scenario.

Suppose you work in a laboratory dealing with potentially harmful chemicals. As you prepare substances with meticulous precision, you begin to feel lighter all of a sudden. The next thing you notice makes your heart drop: the chemical that so obediently was making it’s way down into a vial is now slowly moving up. Your feet leave the ground and you are gently lifted like a feather. In this moment of suspension, you come to the realization that gravity, that old pal who always kept you down to earth, has given up. After a few minutes of the most surreal moment of your life, you slowly begin to descend. As gravity returns, you once again curse your luck as you now have a dangerous chemical spill to deal with.

Regardless of how unreal this scenario may be, it serves a purpose. It shows us that something like gravity is such an essential part of our lives that we never even think to imagine how things would be if gravity didn’t work in the obedient way that it does. What would happen if gravity chose to torment us and stopped working from time to time? One can only imagine how Newton would have felt if the apple only fell half the time. Clearly such a situation would be anything but desirable.

So how does this relate to our contemplation of God’s magnificence? Well, if you have never had to experience a shortage of gravity, you have experienced God’s mercy.

God, out of His infinite mercy, has created this world with various laws and constants, which we can come to understand, one such being the law of gravity. He has provided us with a world that is balanced and predictable which is why we do not live in fear that something as essential as gravity will fail us.

As God says in the Qur’an:

    “Among His signs, too, is the fact that the heavens and the earth stand firm by His             command.” (30:25)

This idea also illustrates that this world is a gift and so is our ability to subject it to our whims. We can survive here without fear as God has allowed the world to be a sandbox of predictable rules.

As the Qur’an tells us:

    “He has made what is in the heavens and the earth beneficial to you, all as a gift from Him. There truly are signs in this for those who reflect” (45:13)

This means that we must constantly be thankful for this ease and never be so arrogant as to expect the world to work in the way it does without acknowledging God’s divine decree. He could have just as easily given an unpredictable hostile world where each human would have to fend for him or herself. Instead He gifted us a beautiful playground to see which of us would be thankful.

So the next time you hear a mention of the signs of God, reflect on how the world has subjected itself to you so that you may live and prosper, for in this is a sign of God’s mercy. Then, be thankful.

…and God knows best.

Saad Mahmood holds the secretary position at Keeping it Halal.

I’ve never been overly concerned about prayer spaces on campus being a student at the University of St. George.  In first year my classes were directly under the prayer space. And being at UofT we have about 8 locations to pray. The only time I notice an issue with prayer spaces is when I am on the north eastern edge of the campus As VP of MSA in second year the biggest concern we faced with prayer spaces was one had a window back wall and some sisters felt uncomfortable being having their backs exposed to other men. It’s a justifiable concern and has been resolved two years later. I also learned of the disconnect between Muslim individuals on campus. Being at the largest campus in Canada this was bound to happen. But, there was at one point a single prayer space and this became a markaz for Muslims, a single location where all the Muslims had to congregate daily. This feeling is missed by the alumni visiting, but strange to the current student base. On my recent trip to York University I once again realized the importance of a prayer space to Muslims on campus. YorkU has only one prayer space, surprising giving the size and population of the campus. This space is a shared space with other faiths which is what most public institutions provide when they do opt to provide a prayer space at all. However, this leads to space issues when two or more faith groups need to use the space at the same time. For both prayers we had to pray in the hallway in front of the prayer space which I must admit was only a minor inconvenience as the hallway was large and secluded enough. The greatest inconvenience I experienced on my visit was that there was a single wudhu area, and by that I mean single source of water, this caused long lines up. However, I later learned that this was partly due to my male privilege and that the sisters had more crammed spaces and where even forced to pray in a less spacious hallway. So, I asked our Twitter followers and those on our Facebook page what they thought were the best conditions for a prayer space and here is what they came up with:

@lovezainab said, “Well prayer spaces on campus are very important to me and it's important to have multiple so no matter where I am I can feel connected and not have to go hunting for a spot to pray in. :D”

Mohamed Iqbal stated, “As much as there should be separate rooms for both brothers and sisters.. In many university settings, such things aren't undertaken. There should be enough to give privacy to both.”

Rabia Khokhar, a writer for this very site, who attends YorkU voiced her concern with “A prayer space is essential in my opinion. I think firstly there should be a designated room/space where Muslim students can always pray not depending on circumstances. I know that in some university settings there is a shared space which people of all faiths share and at times the Muslim students don’t always have a space to pray. I agree with Iqbal and think that there should be separate places for brothers and sisters but I think what’s more important is to always have a space and if it means that brothers and sister have to share a space then that’s alright because certain measures can be taken to ensure privacy etc. At least this way everyone has the assurance that they will have a place to pray always and not just sometimes.”  This statement came in response to Mohamed’s statement.

It’s clear there is no universal answer to the perfect prayer space and I agree that such a goal would be ridiculous to dream of. In life there can never be full consensus amongst a large diverse group of people. However, it’s clear there are many alternatives and that these alternatives should be considered. What is decided as the route to go should have majority of the support and accommodate as many individuals as possible. Currently, I feel this has not been achieved at YorkU. The students must rally together if they want change, but before they do so they must have a vision of what they want to attain. This must be done in consultation with both brothers and sisters and other groups of faith. 

Être tolérant et savoir pardonner, partager et aimer de donner, agir et s’entraider, ce sont des qualités qui ne sont données pas a tout le monde. Nous nous rappelons tous, alors qu’on était enfants, nos chers parents essayaient par tous les moyens de nous faire comprendre qu’en étant généreux et tolérant, était le droit chemin en expliquant que notre religion qu’est l’Islam insiste strictement sur ce fait.  D’où notre prophète SAW a dit : « Personne d’entre vous ne deviendra Musulmans avant d’aimer pour les autres ce que tu aimes pour sois ». Sachez mes amis que n’importe quels Ajrs vous fêtes, votre foi et devoir envers notre Dieu ALLAH le tout puissant et le plus généreux  ne sera achevé. Alors que je naviguais sur le net un de ces jours, je suis tombée sur une petite anecdote qui m’avait fait réfléchir et qui résume parfaitement le sens de s’entraider.

 « Un homme qui était tellement curieux  a propos du paradis et de l’enfer se demandait souvent comment ces deux derniers étaient. C’est un jour qu’il rencontra dans ses rêves un ange.  Il lui dit : `Ange, j’aimerais savoir comment est le paradis et comment est l’enfer.`L’ange le conduisit vers deux portes. Il ouvrit une porte et permit a l’homme de jeter un coups d’œil a l’intérieur. Au milieu de la pièce, il y avait une immense table ronde. Au milieu de cette table, il y avait une grosse marmite contenant un ragoût à l'arôme délicieux. Le saint homme saliva d'envie. 
Les personnes assises autour de cette table étaient maigres, livides et malades. Elles avaient toutes l'air affamées. 
Elles tenaient des cuillères aux très longs manches, attachées à leurs bras. 
Toutes pouvaient atteindre le plat de ragoût et cueillir une cuillerée. 
Mais, comme le manche de la cuillère était plus long que leurs bras, elles ne pouvaient ramener les cuillères dans leur bouche. 
L’homme frissonna à la vue de leur misère et de leurs souffrances. 
L’ange lui dit : ` Tu viens de voir l'enfer`. 
L’ange et l’homme se dirigèrent vers la seconde porte. 
L’ange l'ouvrit. La scène que vit  l’homme était identique à la précédente. 
Il y avait la grande table ronde, la marmite de délicieux ragoût qui fit encore saliver l’homme. Les personnes autour de la table étaient également équipées des cuillères aux longs manches. 
Cette fois, cependant, les gens étaient bien nourris, replets, souriants et se parlaient les uns aux autres en riant. 
L’ange dit : ` voilà le Paradis ! `
L’homme lui dit en retour : ` Je ne comprends pas ! `
- C'est simple, répondit l’ange, ça ne prend qu'une seule habileté.. Ils ont appris à se nourrir les uns les autres tandis que les gloutons et les égoïstes ne pensent qu'à eux-mêmes !! »

Nous comprenons mes amis que cette brève histoire nous montre a quel point les personnes égoïstes et avares ne vivront que dans un monde si bas n’ayant personne pour les aider. Alors qu’en revanche, les bonnes actions et la générosité des autres personnes les mèneront au bon chemin.   

If one were to take a closer look at the Holy Quran’s verses, differences between Makkan and Medinan chapters would seem distinct.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MAKKAN CHAPTERS:

·       Responds to earlier situations when Muhammad (p.b.u.h) is under threat and invites             people to the new message of Islam
·       Major concerns with eschatology and time (when the end will draw near and its ending         time). Verses draw on the apocalyptic images
·       Engaged language
·       The use of oaths: e.g. ‘By the star..’
·       Increased combative and antagonistic language/mocking
·       Single/ disjointed letter e.g.: alif-laam-meem
·       Rhetorical questions
·       Promise and a threat (heaven and hell)
·       Sets apart righteous from the wicked
·       Shorter narrative of story of prophet and specific messages

CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDINAN CHAPTERS:

·       Rules, law and regulations introduced e.g. family issues.
·       Community building was emphasized
·       Legal matters were addressed
·       Longer narrations linked to believers, Jews and Christians
·       Theological expansion of understanding of God beyond apocalyptics
·       Verses return to Makkan themes, builds and adds to them

The most blessed and auspicious month of the Islamic calendar is around and Muslims are looking for ways and steps to prepare for this holy month. Most Muslims are of the view that as soon as the holy month of Ramadan arrives and the devil is imprisoned, it will be easier for them to start worshipping and amending the way they live. However, this is not true and it is best if Muslims start preparing for Ramadan in advance.

The companions of the Prophet (PBUH) would make it a habit to prepare for Ramadan six months before its arrival. The Prophet (PBUH) said,

“Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887)

Using the ways and steps given below, you can easily prepare for Ramadan.

1. Voluntary Fasting

The best way to prepare for Ramadan is to fast voluntarily before the arrival of this holy month. You can set a schedule to fast from Monday to Thursday and rest for the next three days.

According to Abu Hurarirah, the Prophet (PBUH) would fast from Monday to Thursday and when inquired, he replied,

“The deeds of people are presented to Allah on every Monday and Thursday. Allah forgives every Muslim except for those who are deserting each other." He says: "leave them for later”. (Ahmad; Hasan)

2. Reciting Quran

Allah says in the Holy Quran,

“The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was sent down, a guidance for mankind, clear proofs for the guidance, the Criterion; so whoever amongst you witnesses this month, let him fast it." (Surah al-Baqarah 2:185)

Ramadan was first revealed during the holy month of Ramadan. For this reason, the reward of reciting the Holy Quran during Ramadan is much higher. Muslims should spend as much time as possible to read and recite Quran.

Therefore, during the month of Ramadan, Muslims should set targets and a specific time for the recitation of Quran. they should also try to read the Quran with meaning so that they can understand its meaning.

3. Offering Superogatory Prayers

Superogatory prayers mean Nawafil or prayers that are not mandatory but Muslims offer them to please Allah or thank Him for His limitless blessings. During Ramadan, voluntary prayers carry the reward that is equal to mandatory prayers and hence are very beneficial.

The Prophet (PBUH) said,

“Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887)

4. Making Dua

The reward of making dua and seeking the forgiveness and support of Allah is immense. The reward increases during this holy month. Allah says,

"When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me."

Conclusion

Therefore, it is best to follow the ways mentioned above to prepare for Ramadan. You can also read Quran online to earn rewards. 

When I was still in first year, a couple of my classes ended late. This meant that during Ramadan, I had to break my fast in class or on the bus. Once, however, I completely forgot to take any food or drinks with me, nor did I have any money. As I was waiting on the subway platform for my bus, it dawned on me that it was Maghrib time. Just a few seconds after that, a young man approached me and asked me if I was Muslim. I laughed at his question, given that I’m a hijabi and said that yes, I was. He then asked me if I was fasting and again I told him that I was. He told me that it was time to open the fast and he hadn’t seen me eat or drink anything. After I told him that I forgot to bring anything with me, he immediately offered me his iftar, which he had just purchased from the subway coffee store. He had chocolate milk and a croissant and generously told me to pick whichever one I wanted.


The young man, like myself, had been fasting for the entire day. For someone who was obviously hungry, he didn’t even think twice before offering me his iftar. To me, this is the true essence of Ramadan. Although most of us spend the day waiting for iftar so that we could devour pakoray, samosas, fruit chaat and just about everything else in sight, Ramadan is about giving up these indulgences. This is a time when we’re essentially supposed to train ourselves for the rest of the year. This means more than giving up food; it means perfecting our characters and bringing ourselves closer to Allah subhana wa ta’ala through our actions.

Even little acts of kindness like this can go a long way. Along with praying and fasting, may we all make the most of this Ramadan inshaAllah through our actions and act charitably towards one another.